•o tA<*^ 
CIRCULAR. 
C< >1 oi i i a I Secret a r iat, 
Ljgos, 24th September, 1800. 
I am directed by His Excellency the Governor to draw your attention to 
the advisability of securing for examination and report suitable samples of the 
various valuable timbers of Yoruba. 
There is no doubt that in the interior, and, indeed, at no great distance from 
the grand network of inland waterways which extends in every direction 
throughout this Colony there exist a large number and variety of excellent 
timber trees, and that this part of West Africa, in common with the Gambia 
and the Gold Coast, is rich in cabinet woods of good quality and appearance. 
r 
All that is needed to make these woods an object of demand in the European 
market would appear to be a more complete knowledge of their commercial 
value, and the conditions under which they should be shipped. The celebrated 
trade of the Gambia in u Mahogany ” ( Khaya Senegalensis) and in Rosewood 
(Pterocarpns erinaceus ) is rapidly reviving, and from the Gold Coast, celebra¬ 
ted for its Odoom (synonymous with Iroko, Chlorophom excelsa of Yoruba) 
an encouraging timber export has been established. LTnder these circumstan¬ 
ces it would seem evident that, with proper encouragement and advertising, 
the timbers of Yoruba would become a profitable addition to the commerce 
of Lagos. 
The appended list of names in^ the Yoruba language will serve to indicate 
the different varieties of timber which are at present most valued, locally, for 
cabinet work, house and canoe building and otherwise. 
His Excellency desires that you should further know that the Government 
will gladly receive specimen logs of any or all of these native trees, and 
will undertake to send them to England to be reported on and valued by ex¬ 
perts. The British and African and African Steam-ship Companies have 
generously offered to co-operate with the Government in its endeavours to 
secure the establishment of any such enterprise in Yoruba. 
The logs should be complete sections of the stems of the trees from which 
they are taken, should be cut from fully grown timber, and should be from 
four to six feet in length. The bark should be retained un-injured as far as 
possible. 
All who are interested in the development of the commerce of the country 
are invited to co-operate with the Government in this matter. Contributions 
can be deposited on the embankment near the Harbour Master’s Office, and 
should in each case bear some distinctive letter or mark. 
The Colonial Secretary should also be notified of the number of specimen 
logs supplied by each contributor, of their Yoruba names, their habitat, and 
distance from navigable water. 
The supply of specimens of the leaf, flower and fruit will enable the Govern¬ 
ment to have the trees scientifically named. 
I have the honour to be, 
' ' Sir, 
Your obedient Servant, 
Al, VAN MILLSON, 
Assistant Colonial Secretary, 
pro Acting Colonial Secretary. 
APPENDIX. 
1 . 
o 
* 
3. 
NAMES OF YORUBA TIMBERS. 
Igi Egba 
Orogbo erin 
Etinrin 
Opepe 
Gedu 
A wui*. 
4. 
5. 
6 . 
